Earaches in Infants 0-24 Months

When it comes to your baby’s earache, the first thing you want to do is rule out infection and that warrants a trip to the doctor’s office. Even though only one-third of earaches are caused by bacterial infections, these infections can lead to serious problems including boils in your child’s ear canal, infection of your child’s mastoid bone (called mastoiditis) or deep tissues (cellulites), or even deafness.

• Always take your baby to the doctor if your baby has an earache, no matter how mild or severe. If your baby’s earache is caused by an infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics and/or give you advice on how to treat it at home.
• If wax blockage is the cause of your baby’s earache, your doctor may flush out the wax with warm water or recommend wax-softening eardrops. Alternatively, your doctor may suction out the wax or remove it with a small device called a curette.

After you see your doctor, you can also take measures to help your baby get relief from earache pain and speed up healing:

• Apply a warm cloth or warm water bottle to your baby’s ears
• Make sure your baby gets plenty of rest
• Keep your baby’s ears dry to reduce the risk of re-infection
• Elevate your baby’s head since earaches tend to hurt more when your baby lies down
• Give your baby plenty of clear liquids (such as water or apple juice),especially if your baby has a fever
• Do not give your baby products containing acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) — ASA may cause a dangerous medical condition called Reye’s Syndrome

Surgery is always a scary thought but in some cases may be necessary. Your baby’s doctor may recommend surgery to clear up chronic fluid retention in your baby’s middle ear that could cause hearing impairment, or when ear infections are frequent to the point of being routine.

Performed by an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist, the eardrum may need to be cut to let the accumulated fluid drain. Drainage tubes (also known as ear tubes or grommets) may be placed in your child’s ear to allow for continued drainage. These tubes are undetectable (even by the child who has them inserted) and fall out on their own after several months.

This is a decision made by you and your doctor and it could give your baby much-needed relief from earaches.

Call your doctor whenever your child or baby has an earache, regardless of how mild or severe it may seem. Chronic ear infections are more dangerous because they may cause permanent ear damage, even though they produce symptoms that are less severe than short-term, acute infections. It’s always best to check with your child’s doctor and put your mind at ease.